Yemen: Saudi Arabia’s Backyard, Iran’s Playground?

Yemen seems to be going the way of Lebanon, Syria and Iraq – plagued by political instability and no shortage of sectarian insurgency. And, like in those other three countries, Iran is never too far away to influence the course of things.

Meanwhile, a lengthy analysis by a former IDF colonel on Enter Stage Right attempted to describe the situation from Iran’s point of view. The general, Michael Segall, wrote that after decades of increasingly Iranian ideological and political influence in Yemen, the Zaidi Shi’ites of the area have become radicalized, leading to the creation of Houthi-esque militias. Iran, in turn, views Yemen as a theater from which to stage subversive attacks against Saudi Arabia, as well as a potential Iranian foothold in the Red Sea littoral.

Segall, a senior Middle East analyst at a Jerusalem think tank, quoted senior Khamenei adviser Ali Akbar Velayeti saying Tehran “supports the rightful struggle of [Houthis] in Yemen,” going on to compare – with a tangible note of pride – the Shi’ite militia to Hezbollah.